Unborn

Unborn #1

by Amber Lynn Natusch

Born into mystery. Shackled to darkness…

Khara has spent centuries discovering everything about the Underworld―except her place in it. But when she’s ripped from her home, solving the riddle of her origins becomes more important than ever. With evil stalking her through the dark alleys of Detroit, she finds salvation from an unlikely source: a group of immortal warriors sworn to protect the city. Khara needs their help to unravel the tangled secrets of who and what she is—secrets many seem willing to kill for. But time is running out, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer necessity binds her to an arrogant fallen angel.

Can their shaky alliance withstand that which threatens her, or will her soul fall victim to the unholy forces that hunt her―those that seek the Unborn?

From the author of the bestselling Caged series comes a pulse-pounding new series of supernatural romance.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Paranormal, Angels, Mythology, Romance, Magic

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2014

About the author

AMBER LYNN NATUSCH is the author of the bestselling Caged series for adults. She was born and raised in Winnipeg, and is still deeply attached to her Canadian roots. She loves to dance and practice Muay Thai―but spends most of her time running a chiropractic practice with her husband, raising two young children, and attempting to write when she can lock herself in the bathroom for ten minutes of peace. Dare You to Lie is her debut YA novel with Tor Teen.

Reviews

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/



Okay, okay – maybe it wasn’t quite that bad, but it was pretty horrible. In fact, the only positive was that I read it really fast. However, that might have been caused by my inability to ever not finish a book I’ve started and wanting to end my suffering as quickly as possible.

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH SOME WILL SEE AS “SPOILERY” – BUT IF YOU HAVE HALF A FUNCTIONING BRAIN CELL YOU WILL TOTALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN ANYWAY SO I’M NOT SPOILER TAGGING ANYTHING

The whole idea behind this book sounded pretty kick-ass and the cover art was A.W.E.S.O.M.E.. Khara (who happens to be a ginger and therefore looks NOTHING like the cover – clue #1 this might not deliver to its full potential) was raised in the Underworld as a ward of Hades, but wakes up one day in a place worse than Hell Detroit after being kidnapped and brought there by some unknown person/force. Spoiler Alert: Khara totally knows someone from the Underworld who has always been out to “make her his,” but because she’s a complete idiot for whatever reason she brushes off the idea that that person could be the one who is after her.

Anyway, it seems the Motor City has been battling some rogue supernaturals whose M.O. is sucking the souls out of humans and a group of brothers is in charge of keeping the city safe


(Kinda like these guys - with less make-up. Maybe.)

Khara is found by one of these fellas who almost immediately figures out that he (and his band of merry men) are her half-brothers . . . and let the incest jokes begin. Yeah – even though these dudes are wicked hot demigods who spend their free time looking for soul sucking supes at a bar called “The Tenth Circle” (get it, reference to Dante = oh so witty), this brother must not have much luck with the ladies because he can’t stop talking about how he’d like to bang his sister. Note to Amber Lynn Natusch, you’re no George R.R. Martin – leave the incest to the pros.



Now the brothers and Khara – and a super hot badboy angel

(there just had to be a sexy fallen angel to complete this horrible group of characters, right?)
who no one likes, but somehow still lives in the house with them, all must work together in order to stop the evil that is threatening to take over the city and wants Khara for his own. Did you read the whole review? If so, I’ll give you three guesses who the bad guy is and the first two don’t count.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unborn
Unborn, Book 1
By: Amber Lynn Natusch
Narrated by: Angela Dawe
I really liked this book! It has Greek gods, angels, demons, creatures of different kinds, and wonderful characters coming together in a great plot. A girl born from an angel and Ares is raised in secret in Underworld by Hades. Hades loves the girl like his own. But she is stolen by the Fallen when she is a teen. She is dropped off in Detroit, (it must be like home, lol). It just so happens she finds out she has brothers there. So much happens and it is so exciting! Never a dull moment! Everyone seems to be after her!
The narrator is wonderful! She has to sound like someone that has been desensitized to all horrifying experiences and sights. She does it perfect. Great performance.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Also reviewed for Addicted2Heroines

That cover is badass !
I went into this expecting lots of action, lots of magic, and lots of, well, badass stuff !
Aaaaaaaaand, no.
It's got an interesting premise, though. Khara had spent her entire life (centuries) living in the Underworld as Hades' ward. Or at least six months out of the year. The other half she spent with Demeter, while she mourned for Persephone. See, Khara is the trade-off that Demeter made to get her daughter back for half of the year.
So, who were Khara's real parents?
She had no idea, nor any burning desire to find out.
Until one day, when a Dark One swoops into the Underworld, rips her away from Hades, and drops her in the middle of Detroit. She's found by a one of Ares' sons, and the journey to find out which way her family tree branches is on.
There's a brooding fallen angel who's taken an interest in what happens to her, a twin brother that she never knew about, and a psychopath from the Underworld hot on her trail.
Sounds cool, right?
And it is...sort of.
Khara, and everyone else, talks like they're from a different time period. Which, isn't necessarily a bad thing.
But, couple that with the fact that Khara sounds and acts like an emotionless robot?
Ehhhhhhhhh.
I get why she's like that. She had to be stoic and emotionless to survive centuries in the Underworld surrounded by psychos.
After a while, though? It got old.
I still really enjoyed this story, but after I was about 90% done with it, I was getting antsy.
Really antsy.
The chemistry between Oz and Khara, which I originally thought would sizzle...didn't. I'm not really sure when they even started feeling things for each other, due to the wooden dialogue. It certainly didn't help that Khara's inner monologue was lacking in emotion, and Oz's inner thoughts were off limits.

She finds out (relatively early on in the story, so I don't think this is a spoiler) that she has several half-brothers, and they turn into her protectors for the remainder of the book.
Ok.
I know that this falls in line with the mythology part of the plot, but I was hella-skeeved that one of her brothers had a hard time keeping his eyes to himself. Worse, he was the one who was closest to her! Her BFF, if you will.
But he was such a horndog that he evidently had difficult time looking at her as his sister from time to time. Although, the vast majority of these incidents happened in the beginning.
For my personal taste, however, there were too many conversations that went like this:
Random Brother: Perv, remember that she is our SISTER! Stop looking at her like that!
Pervy Brother: I know, I know! I'm trying! It's just so hard to stop being a horny bastard!
Ick.

There are quite a few glowing reviews for Unborn, but I think this is going to be one of those novels that isn't for everyone.
Having said that, I finished this one in two days, so it did hold my interest quite well. There was a lot of originality in the way the story unfolded, and in the way the mythology was played with.
If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, give it a shot. And even with all my complaints, I certainly didn't feel like this was a waste of my time.

Digital copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Erica Ravenclaw]

No spoilers and colorful language abound! I received this ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 6%, which is a personal record.

I'm not going to rate this, obviously.

Here are my thoughts thus far:

OK, so here is the deal. Are you are thinking 6%, christ on a cracker, did you even learn anyone's names yet? The author barely started, give them a chance!



I hear you. I do. My answer is still a resounding fuck no.

I have pushed through books where nearly the entire thing was confusing, or I felt unsure, or disconnected or whatever blah blah etc etc, if provided something is holding onto my attention. This was not that. This was being actually repulsed on every single page of the entire 6%.

Every page friends, EVERY PAGE I made this face:



I'm setting myself free from the chains that bind me, or something.

[Sarah Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to Amber Lynn Natusch, Amazon Publishing, and NetGalley.)

“So I am an oddity?” I asked plainly.
“Not an oddity – an impossibility.”



This was an interesting fantasy story, but I found it a little hard to follow.

I did like Khara, but I did find her a bit cold and detached at times. While I wanted to like her, she came across as a bit strange, and the way she happily offed people without even blinking just made that even more apparent.

“Just as Kierson had taught me, I sank the dagger blade deep into his throat, withdrawing it with a twist. His body fell heavily to the floor, icy blood spraying me as it did.”



I’m also not sure how the heck she could tell the difference between someone pronouncing her name Cara, instead of Khara, because I would personally pronounce them the same way.

“Oh… it’s nice to meet you, Cara,” she replied with a disingenuous smile.
“It’s Kah-ruh,” I said slowly in the hopes that her tiny mind could process my words.



She was also rather rude at times.

“I find it curious that you think I have to suffer you at all. Suffering implies emotion- attachment. I possess neither of those things, especially not for you,”



I also found some of Khara’s brother’s a little distasteful, and it was a little bit gross that they still kept flirting with her, and commenting on her body, when they knew she was their sister!

“And how many times did you think of her naked last night?” Casey asked from his reclined position on one of the two dark leather couches, just as I had envisioned him.
“Twice,” he blurted out in response before wincing at his own admission. “But that’s not entirely my fault. I’m not used to having a sister. Especially not a hot one.”



The storyline in this was okay, but I did have trouble following what was going on, and it felt like there were a lot of info dumps. I did like the book nonetheless, but I really couldn’t focus on those info dumps and long explanations of things at all! In fact I found that I literally had to get on a treadmill and remove all distractions to make it through this book!



I’ll also warn you that there was quite a lot of bad language in this one. The F-word occurred 60 times, so this wouldn’t really be suitable for younger readers.



I have to say that there was a moment in this book that almost came across as romantic, although I’m not sure whether I’m just reading it wrong, because I’m pretty sure the man in question was Khara’s brother.

The second I was within reach, he snatched me up tightly, crushing my body into his embrace and smothering me with his chest.
His heart beat wildly.
“Don’t ever make me think something happened to you again,” he whispered, his breath tickling the top of my head. “I could not survive your loss. None of us could.”

Does that not sound kind-of swoon-worthy?



The ending to this was okay, although having finished it I’m struggling to really understand what happened. I get the feeling that if I don’t immediately start reading the second one I’ll have no chance of working out what is going on at all!
6.5 out of 10

“You did good, but your hesitation made me nervous. Kill or be killed, Khara. Truer words have never been spoken.”

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story, although I don't think it's for everyone. The pacing is very slow and not much happens in the plot. Regardless I loved Khara's story and had no qualms with everything in the universe centering around her. At first I found her stiff dialogue off-putting but over time it really grew on me and by the end of the novel I found her quite endearing. I can't wait to find out what happens next and I imagine that there will be a lot more action in the sequel.

Note: I received this novel for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Deniz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok.
If I would have written a review a third in, this would have gotten 1Star and it would have been a total rant.
After finishing it-and I was not so sure I would at that time-I am between 1,5 and 2Stars.
The reason I even finished this was; the beginning wasn't that bad and though I really don't fancy angel books I was kinda curious where Natusch was taking this. I mean the whole world building rather than the romance. That was o so freakn crystal clear the moment Oz entered the scene. I mean can you say obvious? Exactly. I rest my case.
I was so annoyed though, I felt I needed a break, but then at lunch time, I couldn't make up my mind what to read next... and decided to just get it done and over with. Since this was an ARC, I felt more obliged to finish anyway. And I am glad. Because it did get better.

Not the world building, mind you. That is basically non-existent. I mean I had greek history and mythology, though I tend to forget who is who in the greek pantheon, thanks to my great name memory, I do know the basics pretty well. So Hades, Persephone, Demeter, Ares.. I know who they are. But throwing greek mythology around doesn't make world building. Then there is the PC, they a fun idea, based again in greek mythology since Ares did have a load of offspring. The only completely new thing- OK maybe not THAT new- are the Stealers. Everything else is an array of Supernaturals everyone knows, nothing much was added to them. No the story just mentions them and it is assumed the readers is in the know.
I am not even gonna go into the whole Angel and Greek pantheon thing at the same time not making sense thing...It can be done. Kevin Hearn has mixed all kinds of religions and supernaturals. Though no angels mind you. Still I firmly believe it can be done. But it wasn't done here, it was just thrown at you.
There is no mention of time, it's set in Detroit, I am am guessing in the near future. Do not ask me why. Just because I actually wouldn't know. No explanation was made, nor is it ever mentioned. There are lots of things eluded to like battles that had happened, that the city is in decay... but one is never actually given any concrete knowledge of it.
So saying it is non-existent is actually being pretty nice.

The character building, again, is not really done. There are characters that pop up. One gets an idea of who they are. But they are all one dimensional. In fact around 60% in, the action picked up and I thought maybe this is going to get better. And as I said it did. But it was only the plot that improved. Not the characters. There was absolutely no character growth, development or anything else. I couldn't get myself to care for any of them. Not a single one. The villains are so typical they felt like cardboard cut outs. And the love interested.... well. He is apparently hot and enigma and mysterious. I know at least that's what Natusch was going for. I wouldn't know. He felt wooden and predictable, having two emotions shoved into my face, doesn't really endear a character to me.

The writing style. Let me put this kindly: NOT for me.
The reasons: it felt all over the place.
Inconsistent at best, like someone was trying way to hard, repetitive, and repeatedly crinch-inducing at worst.


The story line the only thing I found interesting about this was the whole back ground of Khara and the action that ensued. I like battle and fight scenes. Not that these were the best or even fabulous ones... nope but they were entertaining. So once the pace picked up, I was really hopeful that the second half will trump the first and make this a way better book. But well, it didn't manage simply because it wasn't enough to outweigh the clumsy execution of this novel.
Then we got the romance. Insta L... obviously... and predictable. But add to this insta- sibling/family- love made this over the top.
So Khara is not only the most desirable being ever, she is also totally trustworthy and instantly becomes important to every other character in the book. EVERY SINGLE ONE.
So yeah, no just no.

I am actually kinda sad, because I would like the outline of this. I loved the blurb. The cover looks good. But the execution- shabby is a nice word.
Will I read the next instalment? Doubtful..... Buuuut never say never.

[Mara · Rating 1 out of 5]

<2

Unborn is a mix of mythologies, Greek and Judeo-Christian, in a urban fantasy setting. I've seen this mix some where else, but where in Cursed it was well woven, here it lacks any good foundation on which to base the new world. So for all the book you feel constant earthquakes when the words collide.

World building is something more than a word, or a description. It's a thread within the story, invisible yet fully present, almost a character in itself. As the world, literally, weights in, it really needs good foundation, or you keep questioning every single things you are proposed as a reader. Here for example I kept wondering why Good and Evil were mixed with the Greek goods, whose idea of morals was, well, very different from what a Christian would accept. What was a fallen angel doing in Detroit? Fallen means, as they say in the book, fallen from Grace. And Grace implies the god of the Bible.

I need an explanation, but every thing was glossed over. Unfortunately, almost everything was glossed over, including characterization and plot.

Characters were truly horrific. A drone as an heroine, flat and robotic, an instant family-bond as stupid as a mate one, so the author doesn't have to work to build relationships, trust, love. Side characters that were so flat that a unskilled toddler's drawing has more perspective. If there was some bad guy really worth mentioning I was blind to it.

Plot was almost non-existent: new girl comes to town (reason unknown), everyone and his brother (literally here) loves her (reason unknown), fights ensues (you know the spiel), fake tragedy struck (fake as I couldn't care less), cliff-ending. As I said, not much of a story, but then there are probably tons of book out there where plot isn't that important. But characters are, world building is.

Here there's nothing sustaining the book and it, like the Stealers in the story, sucks it nourishment from the reader who's left at the end empty, uncaring, bored.

There was a good story somewhere. It got lost when transmigrated into ink and paper. Not to my tastes, sorry.

Arc courtesy of publisher via Netgalley.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

**3.5 stars**

Really enjoyed this start to a new series, some great characters and excellent world building made it a stonking good read.

Khara is taken from her home and thrown into Detroit where she meets her “family” and starts on a journey to discover her origins and understand her place in the world. She’s a great character to follow along with, clever and impulsively intuitive, she can come across as cold and uncaring yet she is very well drawn, a girl amongst many “brothers” who wants nothing more than to get back home. But it may not be that easy, and as the novel progresses the main character really comes into her own.

There is a fair bit of information to assmilate early on, and overall I would definitely say this is a “Part One” – setting the scene, fairly slow build up but very accessible reading and I found it to be a bit of a page turner despite the fact that it is not necessarily full of action. A great way to wet the appetite to find out more about the world Khara inhabits and what the heck is going on. Some clever little twists on mythology and a great sense of place when it comes to Detroit. Both worldly and other worldly at the same time I really thought the atmospheric writing style hit the spot and it engaged me from the start.

Overall then a very good read and I’ll look forward to reading the next one.

Happy Reading Folks!

[Monica Hills · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry but this book was not what I consider to be urban fantasy. Being set in a city and having fantasy elements does not make a book urban fantasy. The female main character has to be strong and Khara was anything but. She was flat and had no personality. I did not connect with her and honestly did not care what happened to her at all. Khara was from the Underworld but she is really Ares's child. She ends up finding her brothers all living in Detroit as they try to keep the city safe from soul suckers who make people empty. The soul suckers are especially attracted to Khara so now her brothers need to keep her safe. There were some hints of romance and there was some action but I just found this book dull. The only reason I finished was because it was relatively short and I needed it for a book challenge I am doing. I will not be reading more in the series.

[Lanie (Lanies Book Thoughts) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I've really enjoyed reading an Urban fantasy book, but let me tell you, I fell in love with this one. I love the fact that it has a mixture of paranormal, mythology, and all that great stuff. I really like the heroine, she actually cracked me up a few times with the way she speaks, and the way she comes off. It's nice to see a gal who's not TSTL and willing to be responsible for herself, when most times these heroines rely on some man to protect them. I also loved her brothers. They were a great mix of protective older brother with silly guy humor an a side of kick@ssness.

The story itself is also pretty different, there are some classic elements of course thrown in there, but the plot is pretty creative. As I was reading, I wasn't entirely sure what was going to happen next, which doesn't happen very often with this genre. When I was coming to the end of the book I was actually starting to read slower, I just didn't want it to end, and now that it has I really want to know what's coming next. The idea of having to wait a few months is kinda depressing to be honest, this story is just that good.

I'm not going to give anything away, I feel the synopsis pretty much covers what you need to know. I can say that I'd definitely recommend this book to all my friends. This is a must read.

I received this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

[Taschima · Rating 2 out of 5]

"To Survive in the Underworld, one would show no vulnerability. I had mastered the art of indifference centuries ago."

Karah is the adoptive daughter of Hades and Demeter. Her whole purpose in life is to switch places with Persephone six months out of the year in order for Persephone to spend Spring topside with her mother Demeter. One day put of the blue Karah is plucked from her underworld into the world of the living and put in the path of her real non-adoptive brothers so they can find her and spend the rest of their lives regretting the decision to bring her home.

Karah has supposedly lived for centuries, so you would think she would have all this history and past experiences right? Wrong. Karah has no personality to speak of, no emotion, no passion. She is just an empty vessel of a character really. I did not connect with her in the slightest. She has lived for CENTURIES yet she has no valuable information, no skills, and no talents. What DID she spent doing all those centuries?

*DANGER HYPOCRITICAL SLUT SHAMING AHEAD* Also she is such a hypocrite. At one point she is at a club and she needs to go to the bathroom and when she goes inside she finds Oz (I'll get to him later) fucking some girl against the sink. I am not in support of fucking in the club, but to each their own right? What bothers me is not this but Karah's reaction:

"I have seen where your hands have been this evening Oz. I would prefer not to wear your whore, if it is all the same to you."

Yet, moments earlier she had said...

"Expressionless and brutal, Oz embodied his very essence even in his sexual encounters. It made something in the pit of my stomach seize. H e belonged in the Underworld with the rest of the depraved souls that served my father; such brazen acts were rampant there. I knew much about them, having looked upon those activities from a very young age. At times, I found myself involved in them."



Karah, the pot calling the kettle black. No woman in the story is to be better than Karah, all the ladies when they look at her show aggression because of course Karah must the the ONLY female in the story, and the BEST. She is extremely off putting. It is like the author can't decide if to make her a Mary Sue or a part time vixen with experience. She wants her to be the BEST of both worlds. Inexperienced with life but with experience in the dark arts of having sex. As a character she fails miserably. And just about every aspect of her life was either only hinted at (like her "miserable" time spent in the Underworld) or extremely glossed over. She has spent half of her entire life on the surface, but she doesn't know what a cell phone is, but she does know what a car engine is.



A lot of things in this world were just glossed over really. The world development was poor to say the least. It is greek mythology mixed with angels/demons, mixed with a ton of other supernaturals. Which isn't too bad IF YOU DO IT RIGHT. An example of someone who mixes all these mythologies right: Supernatural, the show. It does a fantastic job of bringing everything together. But then again, it took time. In Unborn you are just told that there are a bunch of Supernaturals out there and that the sons of Ares are tasked with keeping the balance between supernaturals beings and humans. Why is this again? Do the other gods have children? What kind of supernaturals are out there?

They have this specific supernatural they fight, The Stealers/Soul Breathers. At one point the children of Ares struck a deal with the Stealers/breathers relegating them to a single city and a strict diet that kept the supernatural population in line. Only, their deal makes no fucking sense. Why would the Stealers, who are able to reproduce like rabbits, struck this deal with their enemy? I do not know why the bad guys would have struck this deal at all! They could have easily win against the Ares children it seemed to me. In a realistic setting the Stealers would have said "screw you very much" and just taken over not only the city of Detroit but the world.

Speaking of the children of Ares, they are probably the sole reason I gave this title 2 stars instead of 1. Even though it is stated that Areas has hundreds of children we are only introduced to five. Drew, Kierston/Pierson (they are twins), Casey, and Sean. Drew is basically the leader of the "children" in Detroit, he is level headed and is just looking to keep everyone alive and in order. Kierston...

"While Kierston behaved like a sex-driven juvenile, Pierson was positively serious in nature, his eyes analyzing everything around him."

This is how WOMEN react to Kierston:

"How's it going, Special K?" She was intoxicated by him, his mere presence alone enough for her to nearly fall to her knees in service of him. When he winked ar her in response, she bit her lip and inhaled deeply."

He is like catnip to women. Seriously, didn't that woman just act like a cat on catnip? He is compared to a drug. He is like "Special K" which I think is a reference to Ketamine. *sigh* Kierston doesn't deserve the reference really, he was actually one of the only reasons the story is readable.

So Kierston is the man whore and Pierson is the analytical twin who is more than a little cold. Kierston though is a sweetie, the one with the most heart. I really disliked how often and frequently the issue of incest was touched upon the novel, like Kierston couldn't control himself around his sister. Which was so not the case, I thought the incest reference was unnecessary and awkward. Despite this I seemed to like Kierston the most, as well as Casey. If you have read The Black Dagger Brotherhood then you might find Casey is like the PG version of Zhadist. I mean, it is UNCANNY:

"They looked wary of him, and, upon further inspection, I understood why. His nearly black eyes were sunk deep in his face, the rest of his features dominating. His head was smooth, with only a trace of hair shadowing the surface. His skin was lighter than the twins', which served to highlight the darkness in his eyes."

Is he inspired by Z? I do not know, but the resemblance is there. Nevertheless Casey turned out to be one of the few instances of amusement you get from Unborn so I am glad to have him around. Kierston's twin, Pierson, was mostly just an intelligent ass. He likes to read a lot (SCORE) but then he is not very approachable so who cares. Sean, the real fearless leader, spends little time in the story so I don't feel like I know him very well. All I know is that you want him on your side in a fight. I feel like the author did a mostly good job with the side characters, if only such attention had been spent on the MAIN character.

Now, for the romantic mess. OZ is a fallen angel that spends his time hanging out with the Ares brothers. He is a self proclaimed man whore (see above paragraph for reference of his activities). This is how OZ described himself:

"I'm irresistible. You've seen the way women fall at my feet. Why would you be any different?"

But of course, as soon as Khara enters the picture his behavior starts to change. Because he LIKES her. WHY? She is bland, emotionless, she doesn't even try to make connections with her brothers or those around her. Empty vessel. There is no real reason why OZ would like Khara, only that she is the main character and so the tortured angel MUST fall for her. Oz is also a clear dick with no redeeming qualities so I don't feel any attachments to him. Maybe they deserve each other after all.

"Oz has proven to be selfish, arrogant, abrasive, and even vile at times, but one thing he has never proven himself to be is a liar. I do not suspect he will do so today."

Since I already spoke of how one of the brothers remind me of Z from the Black Dagger Brotherhood I will tell you that OZ is Lassiter. Inspired by or not the connections are there for the taking. If I were to take it further Pierson would be V, Kierston would be Rhage, and Sean would be... Wrath? The fearless leader? Drew would so be Thorment, no question.

YA? NA? Romance/fantasy? I believe this book was going for the NA territory, but with YA tendencies. I thought it was YA, until I saw the references to sex, drugs, and rock and roll. So, NOT YA even though the cover looks extremely YA. It is New Adult surely, even though all the characters really just act like teenagers (and they are CENTURIES old! Twilight syndrome for sure).

Final Verdict: Better luck next time! I do not know if I will pick up the sequel quite honestly, even though I really would like to go back and see the PG-13 version of the brotherhood. I guess for them I might, but certainly not for Karah. Or OZ.

[BookLoversLife · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Amber Lynn Natuschs other series Caged and had this on my list as soon as I heard of it. I'm a big fan of mythology and love to try anything with a hint of it in it and whats better than something concerning the Underworld!

While I liked this, I didn't love it. I'm going to get the negative out of the way first.

I found it quite hard to connect with Khara. She is so unfeeling and flat, which I know is the way she is supposed to be, but I wanted a bit more from her. While I was reading it, I felt like she was a bad actress in a movie who gives every sentence the same flat tone. She was like a robot.

I also thought that there would be more action. Don't get me wrong, there is action, just not enough. The action only really picks up towards the end.

Khara finds out that she has brothers and at times I was a bit grossed out with certain comments the boys had about her. They kept flirting and making suggestive comments towards her. They are her brothers and no way should they even have those thoughts!!! It was just so icky.

Also when she meets them its kind of weird because straight away she is taken into the fold and it's pretty much insta love. I mean come on, if you found you had another family member it would take time to get to know them. Not so much here!! She instantly becomes an important member of the family and all the brothers would die for her!!

It was a very slow story at the start and truthfully, the whole way through was pretty slow. It took me a few days to get through because I found my mind wandering a lot.

This doesn't have much world building and we don't get much explanation to why. Now there is a lot of information but not the right kind!!

Now onto what I liked.

I really liked the plot, as such. I loved that she was there for 6 months and then she was sent above ground for 6 months. She takes the place of Persephone when she isn't there.

I also liked who her brothers were though I'm still a little confused by it!

I liked how she eventually started to show some emotion towards said brothers, though she was still incredibly flat.

I liked Oz. He is the mysterious type though he is still mysterious because we don't find out much about him.

Overall I liked it and I'm glad I have book 2 to get to straight away because I am curious to see where it goes. It's an OK book and I will continue on with the series in hopes that it gets better!!

[Alaina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unborn could've been so much better! It had such potential.. but just led to utter disappointment in my eyes. The main character Khara was such an annoying twat waffle. God, she annoyed me to no end. She should've just been a robot since she basically show no emotion and got zero jokes. She's probably the most boring person ever with the shittiest storyline.

Yeah, this book had "romance" but I gave zero shits about it. Then there was some family revelation or whatever because she finds her true brothers. Again, I also didn't really care about that or the mythology either. This book just really rubbed me the wrong way.. which is complete horse shit since the prologue was the thing that got me hooked to begin with. Then after a couple of chapters.. the book just crashed and burned.

Overall, it was highly predictable and one hundred percent pathetic. It's a type of book where everyone in the world is out to get the MC and then she mysteriously gets all powerful and shit. Yet, she finds her "true soulmate" and is rendered helpless. Sigh.

I'll give it two stars.. but that seems like a lot.

[Nicky · Rating 1 out of 5]

Received to review via Netgalley

Oh, dear. The best I can say about Unborn is that it’s really easy to read. The style, though, just drove me instantly to distraction. There’s something so lifeless about the narration, and the main character is just so completely detached — and it uses so much prior mythology, like Hades and Demeter and Ares, and then so much other stuff like Empties and Fallen and… it just felt like such a mash-up.

I’m going to be honest, I didn’t read very much of this. I knew I wasn’t going to enjoy it, and the guy going on and on about wanting to sleep with his sister (and/or other people saying he did) was just weird.

Originally posted here.

[Brandi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This book peaked my interest from the start, supernatural aspects mixed with mythology, but unfortunately it didn't really work for me. My main issue was the characters, I found them lacking, Khara particularly. I was looking for more depth, and personality. She seems completely unaffected by everything, so it was hard to find myself invested in her story. Overall I feel like the Unborn series has potential, and maybe as the series goes things will develop in a more positive way, but this one just didn't really work for me.


*ARC kindly provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

[Meigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always hesitant to start any book with even the smallest bit of mythology, Greek or otherwise, woven into it because, quite frankly, my knowledge of mythology is fleeting. Especially when it comes to the more obscure and lesser known gods and goddesses. Luckily for me, the deities portrayed in this story are some that I knew a little something about.

Khara hails from the Underworld, her parentage is unknown as is the reason why she's in the Underworld to begin with. The man she calls father is Hades, her maternal figure is Demeter. She is the daughter of neither one; Hades has taken her on as a ward and treats her as well as someone can be treated in the Underworld while her relationship with Demeter is one of convenience. Khara is a pawn to Demeter, being used as a ways to spend more time with her real daughter, Persephone. Suffice it to say, Khara's experience with family isn't all that great.

For reasons unknown, at least to Khara, she is flown away from the Underworld and relocated above ground to the once grand city of Detroit. She is rescued by Drew, who along with his brothers and a very interesting man named Oz, shed a little more light on who Khara is and where she came from. The brothers are a form of supernatural police, working for the Petronus Ceteri and patrolling the different supernatural factions and making sure each one is staying in line. Something sinister is affecting the city now that Khara had taken up residence. The 4 brothers along with Oz have to now figure out what exactly is after Khara and who sent them in the first place.

Going in to this, I wasn't sure what to expect. As I stated before, mythology just isn't my thing. Imagine my surprise to find I couldn't stop reading. I absolutely loved the various gods and goddesses and the characters' relationships to each one. The brothers are all the sons of Ares, who procreated hundreds, if not thousands, of times, saving only the male offspring. Any female was to be killed because of what happened with his daughter, Eos, who truly was his whole world. But what really set this story apart for me and made it unique was the fact that angels were right alongside the gods and goddesses and their collective offspring. That's not something you read about everyday, and I liked how Natusch was able to weave both the mythology and the angelic components into something that made sense.

Another aspect I adored was the setting of Detroit. There could not have been a more perfect city chosen for this story. Detroit really was once a grand city, a mecca not only for the automobile business, but Motown, baby! It's a city full of history, so many of the best musicians got their start in Detroit, so many of them had roots there and left a deep and everlasting imprint on the city. To see the Detroit of now compared to when it was right smack in its heyday is really quite depressing, and it perfectly mirrors the feeling given to the Detroit featured in Unborn, which is also well past its glory days.

I certainly recommend this both for readers of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. If you're a fan of mythology and like when it's woven into a paranormal story - great, you'll probably like this. If you're like me and are hesitant to pick something up with mythological references - guess what? You'll still probably like this :) I will definitely be continuing on with this series and will more than likely check out what other books or series Natusch has to offer.

**eARC received on behalf of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mary's NetGalley Catchup: 4 of 80

Despite what people may think when they look at my average rating or my recent reviews, I want to love the books I read. Truly, honestly, I read because I love it and I want to find the passion I once had in reading where I could plow through a book a day, no problem.

So before anyone gets angry at me that I'm a bitter person (I am) or that I'm unnecessarily picky (I am) or that I hate books (I don't), please remember that even books that people say I will not like, I go into them hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

That's how I went into this book. I have a few friends that reviewed this book and literally all of them said this was terrible. After the first page, I could see why. The narration and the dialogue from our main character is so unbelievably stilted.

But that gave me hope! Because it was actually pretty funny how bad this dialogue is. I was hoping that while I didn't think this book would be good, I would still get a smile out of it. Seriously. This main character sounds more robotic than a droid from Star Wars.

"You requested my name. It is Khara.

"I know where that is. Though my experiences in it are limited, I am not uneducated about the world."

"It was unwelcome and unwarranted," I replied. "It was also completely mysterious...."

Was I enjoying this book? Eh. But it was entertaining and didn't make me want to punch babies.

Until page twenty-four.

"I was trying to help. It's not my fault she's really pretty."

That's a line said by one of Khara's BROTHERS after he explains that he thought about seeing Khara naked TWICE.

Just....let's just let this sink in, alright? First, family. Second, you're telling me that this character literally has no self control and that it's not his fault he has inappropriate thoughts because all women are good for is sex, clearly. So it's not HIS fault she's pretty. GOD! What's he SUPPOSED to be thinking?!?!

Look, I understand that characters are not a reflection of the author. I do. But I also understand that such lines can be delivered while also being condemned. Not one character, not Khara and not her other nameless brothers, condemns this behavior. It's more like 'Oh god is he really thinking this? Oh well, that's just *insert character's name that Mary didn't give enough damn about to remember his name*.'

So I was having fun with this book with how bad it was and then it was no longer fun.

Fucking DNF because look at that catch up number. I've got to hussle and this book nearly had me set my Kindle aflame.

[Jen Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but I have to be honest: I had to struggle to make it to the end. The premise interested me, but that could not save the book from cardboard characters and bad dialogue that left me wondering how anyone could care what would happen next.

As the book began, the heroine Khara was being expelled from her home in the Underworld, for reasons unknown. She is dropped off in Detroit, where a band of her warrior half-brothers just happen to live. She never knew about them and they never knew about her, but when one mistook her for the enemy and tried to kill her, he recognized their familial bond and brought her home to live with the family instead. The guys are all supernatural enforcers of order. They're tough and they hang out at a sleazy club. And they have one associate who is not related to them, which can immediately clue you in as to who the love interest will be. The story follows Khara as she gets to know her brothers and helps them track an influx of Soul Eaters plaguing the city.

I had so, so many problems with the book. The biggest was with Khara. To call her wooden would do a disservice to the depth of wood. She feels no fear, no happiness, no... anything. Yes, I get that her life in the Underworld made her fearless, but it's hard to care about a character who is unaffected by everything. She's like, "Yeah, I'll die. Whatever."

The next issue: her brothers. I could barely keep them straight. There were too many and they were not distinct enough in their personalities. Two of them had names that were almost exactly the same, which exacerbated the problem. And some of them seemed to want to sleep with her. Their sister. Which is not endearing in any way. Also, the way they all accepted her and made her insta-family was kind of saccharine and unbelievable. They are brutal warriors --who wub their wittle sister from the moment they meet. (Some just love her in creepier ways than others.)

Then, there is Oz, the love interest. He is a total manwhore, who literally has sex with multiple women, in front of Khara, for much of the book. Why would anyone root for this pairing? He is a total jerk and his only redeeming quality is that he saves her life at one point. I hate how he calls her "new girl." I hate the way they talk to each other, like they're trying to verbally spar, but it's just such unbelievable dialogue. NOBODY TALKS THAT WAY.

Throw in the predictability of the villain reveal and a cliffhanger ending and I can only say unreservedly that this book was not for me. I will not be reading book 2, even if I never know what happens to these characters.

I would not recommend.

[All Things Urban Fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review courtesy All Things Urban Fantasy

Turns out I don’t have a lot to say about UNBORN. It was an interesting story, a little fallen angel, some Greek gods thrown in, and some nasty evil types that like to feed on souls and leave the unsuspecting human empty and free for possession by evil. All of this happening in the abandoned sections of Detroit during some pretty spectacular battle scenes.

UNBORN has a wide array of characters and all bring something special to the story – Pierson’s seriousness, Kierson’s goofiness, Drew’s calm and Casey’s anger, even Oz’s arrogance.. The brothers work well together and balance each other out nicely, providing an even dose of comic relief and exposition. Khara is a little harder to get to know, or even get a feel for. Her formal speech is perfectly in character for her, and fitting a life lived outside of the human world, but it also makes it hard to get to know or get a feel for. I felt the lack of any real exposition about her history before the story starts. The allusions to what she’s lived through in the Underworld were interesting, but at times too much allusion and not enough fact.

UNBORN’s plot is an engaging one and kept my interest, at the same time, though, it was again too much allusion and not enough fact. Call it sloppy world-building in that I never got a real feel between the Dark Ones and Light Ones, the fallen, the brothers and their connection to the Greek god Ares, even the Unborn themselves. I knew enough to keep reading, but the story itself felt a little thin and not fleshed out enough that I ever felt comfortable in the world.

There will be a sequel, I’m sure, based on the ending and I might very well go back to find out what happens, but I’m still on the fence about it.

[Holly]

DNF at 12%.

I've enjoyed Amber Lynn Natusch's other series very much so I was excited to see her first two books in this new series available on Netgalley. Unfortunately this book is rubbing me the wrong way and I won't be able to finish it. Mostly I can't stand the way the main female character talks/thinks. She sounds like a female version of Data from Star Trek. Robotic, un-emotional, and incredibly dense. Seeing as how she grew up in the underworld I was expecting a bad ass, tough as nails chick but instead I got an android.

I'm also not a big fan of all the things going on around her that she just doesn't quite "get". Take for instance the fact that her half-brother has the hots for her and him and all the other brothers CONSTANTLY bring that up. It's creepy and made even more so by the fact that she doesn't get it. I really really wanted to like this book but it's just turning me off too much.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to have enjoyed this book more than my GR friends, which is funny, as I don't read this genre often and they do, so I guess I'm not as well read as they are when it comes to YA Urban Fantasy.

Either way, I guess I read this wrong, but I DID enjoy it. I liked it so much that I jumped straight into book 2, and I think that may have not been a great idea, as I then researched a bit more and what I saw shaded this book a bit for me.

It's ok to have questions in the first book if there are other books to follow to give answers to those questions. But if the following books don't answer those questions or cause more questions without answers, then it feels like the reader is being led on a wild goose chase without a satisfactory ending.

Also, while the combination of different pantheons was interesting, I personally believe you can't have angels and demons, which implies God and the Devil, and have other supernatural beings too. Also, not sure how you can have a "fallen one" who isn't all evil, but that's just me I suppose.

So, not a horrible book, but it leave the reader hanging and those questions don't seem to be answered in future books. 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3, due to the un-answered questions and fast and loose ways it plays with good and evil. It's entertaining and I did like the growth of the MC.

My thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing/47North for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

[Yzabel Ginsberg · Rating 1 out of 5]

(I got a copy courtesy of NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

I shall be honest and say that I was one inch from DNFing this one. About four or five times. I trudged on because I felt I owed the book a review, since I had requested it, but I just can't recommend it. Instead, I shall thank the local bus system and this past week's early work shift, because they provided me with reading time at something-too-early AM, which made itall the more bearable.

I seriously wanted to like this. Roots in Greek mythology. A ward of Hades, snatched from the Underworld. The idea behind the treaty between Hades and Demeter, providing an interesting diplomatic explanation to Persephone being allowed to go back to her mother for six months every year. Khara's origins, being the daughter of a kickass god, in spite of his usual shortcomings. Well, grantd, Detroit was kind of cliché—it seems like the Bleak City of Bleakiness of Doom for anything horror or supernatural—but hey, whatever, as long as it works!

Only it didn't.

My very first gripe, and unfortunately one that lasted for the whole novel, was Khara's narrative style, which I can only decribe as stilted and "trying too hard":

Our destination was on the far side of the mob before us, and I cringed at the thought of having to navigate through them all, their sweaty stench already offending me from where I stood. Without time to relay those concerns to Kierson, he took my hand and pulled me behind him as he cut his way through the mass with ease. Though I was loath to admit it, there was something strangely appealing being surrounded by the dancing horde, swallowed up in their debauchery. I had not expected to find it so amenable.

I'll acknowledge it tried to stray from basic, bland prose (because a book is urban fantasy, paranormal, young adult, etc. doesn't mean its writing has to be dumbed down, for sure). However, by doing so, it achieved the contrary, making everything feel heavy-handed—all the more because dialogues, too, were in the same style. All the characters spoke in very similar ways, at odds with their surroundings, their usual places of dwelling, the kind of lifestyle they lived. I just can't envision any son of Ares speaking like this:

“No,” Drew replied with an ounce of hesitation. “I have made the decision to hold off on that for now. He has his hands full out east. I see no reason to burden him with this as well, especially when there is nothing to report other than her existence. What he is dealing with has potentially far more disastrous implications than learning he has a sister. I do not think he needs a distraction to derail his focus.”

And Khara's narrative remained like this all the time, even during fight scenes. So maybe, just maybe, her upbringing in the Underworld would have made her a wee mite uptight, but... No, not even that would really justify it.

I also couldn't bring myself to care for Khara. Making her the a daughter of a war deity could at least have warranted a few nice traits. Natural ability for fighting, a mind cut for strategy, being world champion at chess... Whatever. But mostly, she remained passive and useless, observing everything, barely feeling a thing (well, that's how her narrative made me feel, that is). The girl standing in the middle, the one that has to be protected and saved because she barely fends for herself, in spite of claiming she has spent centuries in the Underworld surviving her lot of blows. The one all the guys around fight for—thankfully not as a love polygon, since most of them are her brothers, but they still came off as "you're the girl and so you stay here and when we tell you not to move, you don't move." She alleges her ability might actually be to "stay out of trouble". Then here's what she does:

“Stay close, and always behind me.”
[...]
I walked toward the voices, wanting to see just how the situation would play out. Would whatever creature Kierson pursued let her go, or would he face the wrath of my brother? Furthermore, I had a strange desire building within me that demanded to see just what the assailant was. I had not seen the evil that I had been so constantly told of since meeting Drew and the others. Curiosity got the better of me.
Just as I rounded a thick concrete pillar, I could see the three of them, though light was still scarce. A thin and sickly looking man held the young girl, her face cupped in his hands, mouths nearly touching. The second I stepped into view, his hollow, empty eyes snapped directly to me.
And they never left.

Excuse me for not quite believing that, Khara. Also, for questioning centuries' worth of understanding ability:

“You are not going anywhere, especially not until we know more about why you came here in the first place. [...] If you’re finally feeling rested, you should join us.”
“But you said to stay right where I am...”
He laughed heartily.
“Not literally right where you are. I meant I would feel better if you stayed with us.”

I just... I just can't. Sorry.

I'm not even going to touch the romance here; no chemistry whatsoever between Khara the Bland and typical Tall, Dark and Dangerous Guy. Or how the psychopath who's been trying to own Khara for centuries is brushed aside as a threat from the beginning, before someone finally starts to remember that maybe, just maybe, he should be kept in their computations. You know, just in case.

This novel was definitely not for me.

[☼♎ Carmen the Bootyshaker Temptress ☼♎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just ok for me. I wasn't sure what was Khara purpose but when she ends up in Detroit with the males that are now her brothers and will do whatever possible to protect her, she tries to figure out who she really is and why everything is happening. I didn't enjoy the way the brothers took her in and also the way they encourage her to be as strong as she can be but I'm not sure if I'll run to read the next book in this series just yet. LOL

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book and it has definitely wet my appetite for the second book where for lack of better terms is where 'the good bit starts!'. For me this book was more or less just an introduction into the series rather than a story of its own that carries into the second. This feels as if you need to read this to get to know the characters and the beginning of the actual plot before the story really begins. As it started I found it hard to get into and a lot of things being said or described I had no idea what they were or the significance of them through the plot. I found it confusing and really couldn't get a grip on it. But as you read and persevere the story really begins to pick up.
When Khara gets thrusted from her home and the only place she has ever truly known, The Underworld, she is left stranded and maybe for dead in Detroit. She encounters a group of men who are technically her half brothers. All born to the same God but with different mothers, they each possess a different gift or 'ability' that helps them fight and control the interference of their kind and others from other worlds on the human race. Khara is special though, she was never meant to be, she is The Unborn. As she and her brothers try to unravel the truth and reason of her existence they must also fight for her life as enemies far and wide hunt for the impossible. The anomaly. The Unborn! On this dangerous road for truth Khara finds the being that can help her is an egotistical, rude and downright jerk of a man and also a fallen angel, Oz. Oz can't be trusted as he is neither light or dark and lives for an agenda of his own but he clearly knows more than what he is willing to share about Kharas past and existence and can protect her like no other. As enemies close in Khara and Oz must go through difficult and tragic changes and make difficult decisions in order for the truth to be revealed!
I love Khara. Her attitude and the way she speaks, her out look on life and death and the way she is all round vulnerable but so strong. Awesome. Oz not so much. He is definitely an 'alpha' character but basically p****d me off through the whole book. I much prefer the change to him at the end and can't wait to read the new him in the second installment. The 'brothers' of Khara were brilliant especially Casey and Kierson and I hope they feature more and more through out the series.
All in all a good book that leaves you with more questions that what you begin with and a good build up to the second installment and hopefully a brilliant series.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greek mythology and angels combined to form one epic book.

Getting into this book was such a slow and dreadful process. The pacing at which the story started was so uneventful that I literally fell asleep on someone else's couch while reading the first few chapters. I was not at all committed with trying to find out what the book was all about since my immediate impressions were that the storytelling lacked strength, consistency and fluidity, and the main character's voice was robotic and disconnected.

I put off reading this for quite a while and the second time I tried to, while I was wide awake in my bed half past midnight, I found myself continuing with the story and slowly connecting with its characters and their personalities. I continued reading until my iPad's battery was drained (which was about three hours later) and by that time, I was almost halfway through the booked and was completely hooked altogether.

For anyone familiar with Greek Mythology, I'm sure that idea of a book's female main character hailing from the Underworld and viewing Hades as a wise and loving father figure, is completely out of the ordinary. To be honest, I first thought that the character speaking was male and only realized how wrong I was when I reached the last line of the first chapter. Needless to say, I was totally mislead.

Thankfully, the second half of the plot was better and for those of you who are planning to pick this up in the future currently reading this right now, and are contemplating to stop reading it altogether, I suggest you read it until the very end. In the latter chapters, you'll get humor. You'll get action. You'll get romantic tension. You'll get a heartbreaking ending that holds a whole lot more promise compared to what the beginning of this book failed to offer.

Unborn, though it may have had a lot of flaws and an obvious rough start, the ending and all the events that take place between it and the middle compensate for the earlier lack of fire and spark. It turned out to be a great book that has left me dying to get ahold of the sequel.

[Abi · Rating 2 out of 5]

(I received a copy from Netgalley, In exchange for an honest review.)

I didn't like Khara. I found her to be rude and cold most of the time, so I couldn't warm to her at all.

After reading the first two chapters, I knew this wasn't going to be a book I would enjoy. It just couldnt't catch my interest, and as the book progressed, it got worse.

Overall, Not a read I enjoyed unfortunately.

[OutlawPoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read. I'm not sure why it didn't hit the first time I tried to read it.

I will say the brothers are entirely too hot lol. Like, I kept forgetting that certain dudes were her brothers and kept hoping she'd end up with them instead of the guy she liked - and that was very weird and disconcerting.

I will read further in the series.

[Tiera McMillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent start to the series for sure. I will say that I listened to the audio for this and it was pretty good. It took me quite a bit to get into because the narrator has an almost robotic voice for our FMC, but I really felt after a while it was on purpose and portrayed her past, not being raised with humans or really anyone for that matter. It was a very formal way of speaking. I felt the premise/plot line was really interesting. I am really not all that sure where this is headed though. I guess I felt our antagonist was kind of "small time" in the whole scheme of things.. surely there is a bigger picture here that hasn't quite presented itself. The plot is a little slow moving. It felt like it took quite a long time to get us somewhere, there was a lot of self discovery for the FMC as she familiarizes herself with the world, and the concept of family as well as discovering her origination. That seemed to take up most of the book.

Khara our FMC has just been thrust into the human world from the underworld where she has lived for centuries. Not knowing why she is even here, she takes up shop with a group of warriors who just so happen to be her long lost brothers. Siblings all sired by the god Aires, Khara and her brothers go on a mission to unravel her past and find out why she has been hidden all this time. However, the city of Detroit has its own agenda, as evil begins stirring more and more frequently, it seems as if Khara has something to do with it. In fact she, the evil may even be searching for her. As they battle to find answers and keep Khara safe, her past in the underworld returns to haunt her. As she discovers what she truly is, she also discovers how easily it may be to turn her into a tool for evil and now she must battle that fate while attempting to hold onto her new found family.. or they may be turned in her stead...

Super interesting chain of events so far, but in all honesty I felt it might have been a little over dramatized here at the start. I really feel like I'll probably have to delve a little deeper to see the true big picture here. I think maybe I'm just a little disappointed by the antagonist, for such a rich story and backstory, a jealous ex seems a little anticlimactic. Surely we are headed into a battle of epic proportions between good and evil here... I guess we will have to continue to know for sure.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this one, thus the average rating. I like the plotline, but character development needed more - I don't know - just MORE.

Khara is taken from her home in the Underworld and deposited in Detroit. She is found by Drew, who happens to be her brother, a fellow son of Ares. Turns out all sons of Ares have a special job to do on Earth which is to maintain the balance between magic/non-magic and good/evil. She goes off and meets the ones stationed in Detroit and joins their little family. Khara is particularly special because Ares hasn't allowed a daughter of his to survive in thousands of years and if he finds out about her existence, he will probably try to kill her. Turns out that there are a bunch of people out to try to kill or harm Khara, and unlike her brothers, she doesn't seem to have any powers. Even when Oz, a fallen angel, determines that Khara is an unborn angel from her mother's side, she is still pretty helpless. Her brothers and Oz must protect her from all the evil trying to harm her.

Khara's character bugged me - I get that she was supposed to be guarded, but instead of coming off that way, she was nearly robotic in her dialogue. In fact, I had to stop listening to the audio version of the book completely because it just made it worse and even started bleeding into the characters that weren't supposed to be devoid of emotions. Also annoying was her total vulnerability. EVERYONE is out to get her and she is powerless to do anything. It got to be a little too much. Not sure if I will continue the series even with the juicy romantic cliffhanger at the end.